When you think of downtown fashion, you think edgy… at least, you used to think edgy until the skinny jeans, tight t-shirts and basically anything Blondie-esque became de rigueur. Instead of cliché though, let’s think of it as downtown classic: the Lower East Side version of polo shirts and docksiders. And, as long as we’re thinking classic, we might as well be thinking Sophomore.

Inspired by the Lower East Side style of the 70’s and today, designers Chrissie Miller and Madeleine von Froomer, who most recently worked for Proenza Schouler, offer a full line of downtown basics in classic silhouettes. Sophomore’s line of t-shirts, tank tops, shorts, leggings, dresses and sweatshirts feature both a throwback palette (e.g. faded looks,) deep, modern hues, and qualify as the freshest basics this side of American Apparel (and a lot less ubiquitous).

You can check out the spring collection online, which features Bijou Phillips and internet phenom Cory Kennedy. Even if the style isn’t your thing, at least go to check out the photos, taken by Cass Bird. They are absolutely surreal and seem to capture that moment somewhere between 1977 and 1982 that crystallized what “downtown” would come to mean.

Sophomore is available at Opening Ceremony, 10 Greene Street, New York. 212.226.1885

Nicolay is back at it again. The Dutch producer whose collaboration with Phonte of Little Brother brought to life sonic love stories in the form of Connected, is blessing us with another concept album. This time around, Kay is the lucky MC who gets to spit on his brand of electro-soul-hip-hop beats. Time: Line is their LP’s title and the human life cycle is its concept. The pair explores, birth, death and all the stages in between over the course of 12 tracks. The album is in stores worldwide, and based on the tracks I’ve heard thus far, sounds like it’s gonna be another timeless collabo. Long live good music!